Hokies lead for local ATH

After an impressive performance at the Virginia Tech Nike Camp, Brent Vinson has received the much anticipated recognition he was looking for. The Hampton (Va.) Phoebus athlete received six offers in the past month.

"Oh my God, I have offers from West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Maryland, Syracuse and Marshall," he said. "Southern Cal has also started sending me some mail too; it's been a busy month and has been great."

"I'm leaning towards Virginia Tech because I just like the atmosphere there and I feel at home every time I go there. They are looking at me as an athlete meaning I will play wide receiver, running back and return man, so that's why they're number one. I can drive there whenever I want and there are a lot of people I know there too. My cousin, Jimmy Williams, goes there and it makes me real comfortable."

Having Williams, an All American candidate, at Tech is a big boost for the Hokies.

"it's a big advantage, but he told me if I go there make sure I do my own thing. He told me to go wherever makes me happy, but I do look at them more because there are family ties."

Vinson went on about his second favorite school, Maryland.

"I wasn't sure about them, but I was impressed when I went to Maryland," he said. "Coach Brattan stopped by and showed me around the campus and I even have a player I know there, Derrick Fenner. I like the facilities and it's a really nice campus. I met coach Friedgen and all the coaches and they were all really nice. I looked at some of their records for receivers and I'm comparing myself to them. I just had a good time up there."

What does Vinson like about number three West Virginia?

"I like them a lot too, I like the way the offense is because they use players in different positions," he said. "If you can play, they let them play and switch you around. That's what I really like about them."

His fourth favorite is Michigan State.

"I really like that they are looking for a stable playmaking wide receiver to use a lot," he said. "I know they throw the ball a lot and I especially like their solid background with previous wide receivers."

Finally, Vinson has heard from the national champion Trojans.

"The coach called me at the end of May and they are still looking at my tapes," he said. "They are getting much better and more interested in me. They are sending me more letters. At first I was getting one a week, but now I receive six letters every couple of days."

If Southern Cal offered, how would that shape Vinson's recruiting?

"If they offered, USC and Virginia Tech would be my first choices," he said. "They would be one of my first choices, but I might like to play in Virginia and the idea of representing where I'm from."

Asked about where he'll take official visits, Vinson mentioned he's probably going to look to travel further out.

"I wouldn't take one to Virginia Tech just because they are close and I can go there a lot," he said. "I would probably take officials to places that are far away like Southern Cal, Ole Miss, Michigan State and Kansas State because those are harder for me to get to."

This summer the receiver plans to visit Virginia Tech, Virginia and Maryland for camps.

As for a decision, Vinson is looking at deciding sometime this fall.

"I'm probably going to wait until the middle of the season," he said. "Basically, I want to see what schools are going to be recruiting me hardest. I don't want all my interest in one school and then they get away from me, so I want to keep my options open."

Next season, Vinson is preparing to improve even more after posting 29 receptions for 475 yards and eight touchdowns.

"I'm looking to work on my route running a lot more," he said. "I run good routes in high school, but in college it's a whole different level. I watched Brandon Caleb run his routes at the Virginia Tech camp and he wasn't as fast as me, but he kept throwing off the cornerbacks because of his routes. I tend to round them off some and I learned a lot from watching him. I have to get my feet down, run straight and get perfect timing."

Vinson was named all-district in both football and basketball as a junior.

The receiver prospect has a solid 3.1 GPA. He is ranked as the No. 14 player in Virginia in our Rivals.com Virginia rankings.